With Marcus Rashford running out of time to secure a transfer, we have ranked the Manchester United star’s six end-of-window outcomes on likelihood…
Unsurprisingly, Rashford‘s exit from Man Utd has turned ugly as head coach Ruben Amorim is ‘no longer on speaking terms’ with the outcast, who has made his bed with his alleged half-hearted training efforts.
Instead of moving in the right direction, Man Utd‘s off-field operation has arguably gone backwards since INEOS took over; there has been plenty of talk but not much action as their unwanted stars cling onto their undeserved pricey pay cheques.
Antony is out of the door, but the failure to offload Rashford and Co. has forced a stuttering start to the rebuild under Amorim as they desperately need to raise funds.
In Rashford’s case, Amorim’s insistence on slating the forward is not helpful as increasingly desperate club chiefs look to attract bidders, though his huge salary and dire performances since the 2022/23 campaign are enough to put off interested parties.
Rashford has f***ed it and the chances of the England international remaining at Man Utd beyond Monday night’s transfer deadline are growing, but there are still a couple of clubs in the frame to spare his blushes.
With that, we have ranked the six most likely (based on betting odds) clubs he could play for beyond February 3 based on likelihood…
6) AC Milan
The Serie A giants were earmarked as the early favourites to land Rashford. This move would have made plenty of sense given the current crop of English talent already contracted to AC Milan and senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s admiration of his former team-mate.
But this move is currently off the table. A Serie A rule prevents AC Milan from signing more than one non-EU player this month and they opted to prioritise Manchester City veteran Kyle Walker, who has joined the Italian side on loan with an option to buy.
Walker stole Rashford’s thunder by making a bombshell exit and it’s pretty damning that the Serie A side picked the past-it defender over the forward. The two Englishmen could reunite in Milan this summer, but this move won’t happen before next week’s deadline.
READ: Rashford, Grealish, Nunez among eight PL stars forced to wait for summer transfer amid January links
5) Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham are the two Premier League sides most commonly mentioned as destinations for the wantaway forward, but Arsenal are ahead of their two rivals in the betting.
This once-great site has called for the Gunners to sign Rashford as they are crying out for a new attacker with Bukayo Saka’s inferior team-mates exposed without the England international.
Arsenal’s main problem is they are seriously lacking in attacking areas; Rashford would provide much-needed competition for Gabriel Martinelli on the left and another striker option.
The Gunners are reportedly in the market for a wide man, but this pursuit could be delayed until the summer as they target Nico Williams. For now, their priority is to sign a natural No.9 to compete with Kai Havertz and this (plus Rashford’s aforementioned issues) is perhaps why Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins – not the Man Utd star – appears one of their leading options.
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4) Napoli
Rashford has underperformed in the Premier League for some time, but you would still fancy him to smash it in Serie A with his explosive power and pace.
Napoli are another option for Rashford as he could be an alternative for Alejandro Garnacho as Antonio Conte looks to replace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is this month’s most expensive player. Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi has also been linked with Napoli, who need to go back to the drawing board after he decided to stick with the Bundesliga side.
But Rashford faces more disappointment here as he’s only been loosely linked with Napoli, who appear to prefer Garnacho. A potential swap deal with the second-best striker available for a transfer could open the door.
3) FC Barcelona
Rashford clearly thinks a lot of himself as it’s been widely reported that his ‘dream’ transfer is a move to Barcelona, even though his recent form barely justifies a move to Tottenham, never mind the La Liga giants.
It’s easy to see why Rashford would want to join Barcelona. Despite all of their issues (and there are plenty), they remain one of the premier destinations for footballers.
But it’s hard to make a case for Barcelona needing Rashford, especially given the financial toil they would have to go through to seal a deal with Man Utd.
The 27-year-old could theoretically get his desired move in a couple of years, but this would only come after a rehabilitation process at a B-level European side or Man Utd.
READ: Rashford tops ten Premier League outcasts who have seven days to escape
2) Borussia Dortmund
With Barcelona no more than a pipedream for Rashford at this stage, a move to Dortmund would be a wise play for the winger if getting back to his best is truly his priority over a glamour transfer.
I doubt that’s the case, but Rashford would prove plenty of his critics wrong if he followed Jadon Sancho’s footsteps and rediscovered his love for the game in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund have reportedly lodged the ‘best’ offer for Rashford and have consistently lingered in the transfer frame, so they are perhaps better-placed than rivals to salvage a late deal if anyone can.
1) Manchester United
What a mess Rashford and Man Utd have created for themselves…
Rashford’s unwarranted list of transfer demands and Amorim’s refusal to use him (and his brutal digs) sets up a tense final few months of the season for the forward, who could be ‘banished’ like Sancho.
He could have made his January exit/reintegration much more seamless by giving an extra few per cent in training to appease Amorim, but his poor conduct mean he’s facing a few months in the wilderness before his summer transfer options are even more limited.
